A batch of stuff I’d ordered on AliExpress all showed up at once — including the Model YL sunglasses holder I’d been meaning to try.
Lately AliExpress has been using this “Espo” delivery service that even leaves packages at the door without me asking for it.
(Which could be a problem if it’s something you don’t want left outside — and there’s no way to opt out.)
The label is in Japanese. Top-left badge: “Espo delivery.” Top-right: “OK to leave at the door,” with “delivery box OK / mailbox drop-off OK” noted below.
Out of everything in the box, this time I’ll cover two little accessories I mounted around the sun visor of my Model YL.
The Model YL has nowhere to put your sunglasses
The Model YL’s glass roof gives you a wonderfully open feel, but there’s no dedicated spot for sunglasses.
Every time the sun got in my eyes while driving, I’d end up rummaging around the center console.
Or I’d leave them in a cup holder, where they mostly just get in the way.
It was a small but constant annoyance, so I grabbed two visor-mounted accessories on AliExpress.
I went with a magnetic Model YL sunglasses holder and a clip-on visor storage case meant for sunglasses.
Magnetic sunglasses holder
Let’s start with the Model YL sunglasses holder.
You slip the leather-look strap over the visor, and a magnet snaps it shut to hold it in place.
Here’s what it looks like with the magnet open.
You just tuck a temple (the arm) of your sunglasses in here.
Looking up from below, it peeks out subtly from the edge of the visor.
And this is how it looks with the sunglasses actually clipped in.
The magnet is nice and strong — no sign of anything dropping out even over road vibration.
Visor storage case
The other one is a lidded storage case that slots onto the visor and clips into place.
It’s sold as a sunglasses case.
That said, a fair number of reviews mention it’s “too thin to actually fit sunglasses.”
So at our house we came up with a different use for it.
Dialing in the mounting position
For the install, I tried a bunch of positions while checking for any interference as the visor folds up and down.
What I settled on was the storage case on the right of the visor (for the garage remote) and the Model YL sunglasses holder on the left (for the sunglasses), like this:
The case that people say is too thin for sunglasses turns out to be just right for a slim card-type remote.
When I pull up in front of the garage, I just grab it from the visor and open the shutter.
Now that the remote has a fixed home right above the driver’s seat, it never goes missing in the car anymore.
And the visor still folds up and down with everything in place.
Product links (AliExpress)
Here are the two I bought this time.
The magnetic sunglasses holder — around ¥229 (approx. US$1.50).
The storage case — around ¥334 (approx. US$2.15).
Wrapping up
Two little visor accessories solved both the Model YL’s “nowhere to put your sunglasses” problem and the “no home for the garage remote” problem at the same time.
The Model YL sunglasses holder and the storage case together came to just under ¥600 (roughly US$3.70), and for this much convenience I’m more than happy.
Since the storage case runs thin for sunglasses, I’d treat it as a spot for cards or a remote rather than eyewear.
I still have a few AliExpress purchases left to try, so I’ll keep sharing the ones that turn out to be worth it.
This article is also available in Japanese.
